How Fire Inspections Software Makes Paper Obsolete

From one fire agency to the next, you can bet your next paycheck that each has their own way of conducting inspections. There’s also no doubt that inspectors are focused on making sure they note the slightest violation when inspecting a property. This commitment is easy to see in how each agency has fine-tuned their inspection method and related inspection materials over time. However, common inspection methods, such as paper or spreadsheet checklists, come with their own pitfalls, and many software options previously available did not pass muster. Now, fire inspections software has caught up with modern fire inspections, solving common issues inspectors typically had when using other methods in the past.

How Paper and Spreadsheet Checklists Fall Short

Paper checklists’ limitations have become increasingly clear in the digital age. Because a paper checklist is not easy to search through, you cannot keep detailed or flexible checklists on hand. This is why experts recommend that paper checklists be broad, which means there is a lot of room for key elements of an inspection to fall through the cracks. Additionally, using paper checklists comes with the added task of having to type up reports back at the station. Who’s got time for that?

Spreadsheets come with their own problems, as well. It is one thing to keep a short checklist on a spreadsheet, but it’s another to keep a meaningful checklist available that will walk you through each inspection type and house the entire fire code. Spreadsheets are not the best task masters and users are prone to miss things when looking at an endless array of rows and columns.

Finding Modern Fire Inspection Software that Works

There must be some sort of software solution that meets the unique needs of today’s fire inspectors, right?

According to the National Fire Protection Agency, computerized checklists would “literally miss nothing” during an inspection. These computerized checklists improve the inspection process by providing a detailed checklist that operates as co-pilot during the inspection process. Advances in usability help, as well, because the nature of these programs is that they walk inspectors through each type of inspection step by step, ensuring that they do not miss any violations.

Tools like ESO’s Properties and Inspections allow fire agencies to set their unique inspection parameters with agency-defined checklists that still provide inspectors with the flexibility they need at the inspection site. During the initial setup, admins can create a checklist for one type of inspection and apply the checklist with relevant amendments to other types of inspections, making setup a faster and more intuitive process. ESO’s Properties and Inspections ensures that each type of inspection is performed in a consistent manner regardless of who is inspecting a property. This consistency gives fire agencies the peace of mind that comes with knowing that inspectors cannot accidentally overlook violations during inspections.

Ultimately, Properties and Inspections’ agency-defined checklists make inspectors’ lives easier while improving their job performance, which saves both time and money for the fire agency as a whole. By using the software’s checklist capabilities in combination with the other features of ESO’s Properties and Inspections, fire agencies of all sizes can focus on what really matters: keeping people and property safe.